Last time I met with one of our newest sponsors—Kyle Wallace from the Wallace Specialty Insurance Group—for an episode of the Nifty Thrifty Dentists podcast, we were in the midst of the pandemic. Now that we’re back in the full swing of things and those scarier days are behind us, Kyle and I were able to have more fun this time around.

Speaking of which, many of you may know Kyle from his live streams during those dark days. He would grace us with a stream where he shared tons of advice and information to help us stay grounded. Kyle and I go way back to before the pandemic, though.

When I graduated dental school, I knew I needed to work with somebody whom I trusted surrounding disability and malpractice insurance. To put it simply: it takes a brainiac to navigate that tricky maze of red tape. Kyle had lectured in our class multiple times, and I knew he had great success working with folks like us. The truth is, you never really know how valuable it is to work with someone like Kyle until you actually get in trouble. And that’s why I want to share a little story with you all…

We all remember those patients who give us a hard time, especially when they go so far as threatening to sue. Well, as luck would have it, I had a patient who was mad at me for something I hadn’t done wrong and—you guessed it—they were ready to sue me over it.

I didn’t know what to do. At first I asked my colleagues and, while they gave some great advice, it wasn’t going to give me any sure bet of overcoming this patient’s situation. Then my wife said to me, “Why don’t you talk to Kyle?” At first I thought, “What can Kyle do, isn’t he an insurance guy?” But I gave him a chance, and he walked me through the whole process.

Long story short, I didn’t get sued and everything turned out a-okay. Although I haven’t run into a similar situation since, I always reach out to Kyle with any questions I have now. I’ve since sent him emails, novels, and more. His response is always, “Glenn, why don’t you just get on the phone with me?” Boy, it’s a breath of fresh air to have him around. Everyone is so busy in this day and age—and understandably so—but Kyle always makes the time to lend me a hand no matter what.

Kyle has over 35 years of experience in the insurance industry. He’s spent the last 25 working exclusively with dentists of all specialties and practices of all sizes. Kyle has seen “most everything” but, in his words, “seeing something new makes my day.” And while Kyle has operated in a plethora of insurance-related matters, malpractice is his “first love” and his favorite area to operate in.

As stated, Kyle is already a well-known face for many members of the Nifty Thrifty community. But he’s also well known across other spheres of the dental profession—especially those who went to school or live in the Dallas area. He’s taught the risk management portion of the AGD Master Track program in Dallas, has written several articles for Doctor of Dentistry magazine, and was a contributing author for the book, “The Practice Launchpad.”

Whether you’re a new dentist—like I was—or you’ve been practicing for a long time, chances are that you’re bound to run into issues surrounding disability and malpractice insurance. Wallace Speciality Insurance Group has evolved to serve more than 6,000 clients, and most of the day-to-day is handled by Kyle’s team.

That said, he’s maintained the role of “claim’s counseling” where he takes emails, calls, etc. from clients who are under a threat from a patient but that threat has not yet “escalated.” Typically, in order to get sued, you’ll need to really mess up in something that Kyle deems a “black-and-white” or “obvious” situation.

 

Otherwise, being sued is often more of a menacing threat than a reality. That said, you still need to be careful in order to prevent lawsuits!

At the end of the day, we’re all human. It’s important to not let your emotions take the helm, and Kyle is your guy when it comes to pragmatically navigating a situation where you may be in jeopardy of a lawsuit.

For those already working with Kyle, it’s worth sending him an email because, chances are, you need a quick update on your current dynamic.

Learn about:

• What story does Glenn tell about his experience working with Kyle, and how does this story showcase Glenn’s belief that “you never know how valuable it is to work with someone like Kyle until you actually get in trouble”?
• What’s the “gap” Kyle sees between what happens on a daily basis in a dental practice and what an insurance company is “there to do”? How is it an “ol’ hammer & nail” dynamic?
• On that note, how does Kyle mitigate things before an insurance company needs to be involved in your situation(s)?
• How has Kyle’s insurance company grown over the year?o Hint: they serve over 6,000 clients!
• Why does Kyle think you will “most likely not be sued” by that patient who tells you, you’ll be hearing from their lawyer? And why do they “most likely” have no lawyer to speak of yet?
• Why does Kyle think we need to throw lawyers some love as “integral” members of our society?
• What do lawyers look at before taking on a case where a patient is threatening to sue you? How does it relate to a “business mentality,” and why might this be good news for you?
  • Hint: they’re typically looking to generate at least $35,000 – $40,000 for a case to be “worthwhile.”
• Why does Glenn know firsthand that you shouldn’t send an email “freaking out” at midnight when you’re in jeopardy of being sued? Why does Kyle think you should take a deep breath before you fret about their “arsenal of weapons”?
  • Hint: worry more about a patient mounting a social media attack, or a “state board review.”
  • Another hint: we “live and die” by patient reviews!
• Which precautions are in order for you to ensure you won’t be toppled by a patient suing you, if it happens?
• In the moment a patient threatens to sue you, what should you address?
• How should you speak to an angry patient? Why should you “shut up” and let them talk until they’re done?
  • Hint: oftentimes, they just want respect and a sincere apology.
• How should you go about writing a “release,” and how should you ensure it’s “iron-clad” without certain clauses?
• Why do you need to be “proactive” when communicating with an angry patient?
  • Hint: people know when you’re “hiding” from them, and that’ll get them even
    more frustrated!
• What do you need to know about an Umbrella Policy?
• And more!

Learn about:

• What story does Glenn tell about his experience working with Kyle, and how does this story showcase Glenn’s belief that “you never know how valuable it is to work with someone like Kyle until you actually get in trouble”?
• What’s the “gap” Kyle sees between what happens on a daily basis in a dental practice and what an insurance company is “there to do”? How is it an “ol’ hammer & nail” dynamic?
• On that note, how does Kyle mitigate things before an insurance company needs to be involved in your situation(s)?
• How has Kyle’s insurance company grown over the year?o Hint: they serve over 6,000 clients!
• Why does Kyle think you will “most likely not be sued” by that patient who tells you, you’ll be hearing from their lawyer? And why do they “most likely” have no lawyer to speak of yet?
• Why does Kyle think we need to throw lawyers some love as “integral” members of our society?
• What do lawyers look at before taking on a case where a patient is threatening to sue you? How does it relate to a “business mentality,” and why might this be good news for you?
  • Hint: they’re typically looking to generate at least $35,000 – $40,000 for a case to be “worthwhile.”
• Why does Glenn know firsthand that you shouldn’t send an email “freaking out” at midnight when you’re in jeopardy of being sued? Why does Kyle think you should take a deep breath before you fret about their “arsenal of weapons”?
  • Hint: worry more about a patient mounting a social media attack, or a “state board review.”
  • Another hint: we “live and die” by patient reviews!
• Which precautions are in order for you to ensure you won’t be toppled by a patient suing you, if it happens?
• In the moment a patient threatens to sue you, what should you address?
• How should you speak to an angry patient? Why should you “shut up” and let them talk until they’re done?
  • Hint: oftentimes, they just want respect and a sincere apology.
• How should you go about writing a “release,” and how should you ensure it’s “iron-clad” without certain clauses?
• Why do you need to be “proactive” when communicating with an angry patient?
  • Hint: people know when you’re “hiding” from them, and that’ll get them even
    more frustrated!
• What do you need to know about an Umbrella Policy?
• And more!

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